In early summer, they might evoke dewy irises and swirling water. In autumn, plume grass trembling in the wind. Quite obviously, Japanese sweets are more than a mouthful of sweetness: They evoke the poetry and beauty of life itself.
The very earliest sweets were fruits and nuts such as dried persimmons and chestnuts, but through Japanese people's love of ceremonial gifts and festivals, and their belief in the power of symbolism, sweets in this country have evolved into an elaborate, edible art form.
The word wagashi, meaning "Japanese-style confectionery," was created in the late-19th century in response to the influx of an exotic wave of Western sweets, such as chocolates and ice creams. Before then, dry sweets, fresh sweets, rice cakes smothered with bean jam and even salty rice crackers, were all simply known as kashi of one kind or another. However, there was always a world of difference between the exquisite confectionery crafted for the aristocracy and the simple dumplings that occasionally sweetened the lives of the ordinary people.